Wings of a Swan
by Aya Diefair
Summary: Elena has died; drowned at the bottom of Wickery Bridge, as it should have been. How does she feel during her time in limbo? What does she think as she experiences the cold embrace of her last moments as she watches her life flash overhead? Will she let her wings spread & carry her into death, or will they carry her home? Last moments of 3x22. Elena's POV. One-shot story.


**All rights reserved to L. J. Smith as the creator, and Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec that brought The Vampire Diaries to life.**

**The only rights I reserve is my creative mind that threaded the story together with the help of an amazing song created from a brilliant band as well as an amazing storyline.**

******Inspired by _The Swan Song_ By Within Temptation.**

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**A/N: Set after Elena drowns and she wakes up in a limbo-like realm-her temporary death. End of 3x22 For more information on this story, please see my profile page.  
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**Elena's POV**

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I slowly raise to my feet, feeling like I am in a dreamy state as I let the sun warm my cold body. I start hearing muffled voices, they are saying my name. Looking all around me I see no one, yet the voices get louder and clearer, as if they were right beside me. My heart starts to flare with warmth, as if it knew these voices were from people that greatly loved and cared for me. They sounded so sad and full of loss. Why is this? I feel no pain, no suffering, I am content. Once more I look around me, seeing nothing but the white and grey of the season, I sigh and look to the pale blue sky hoping for an answer. As I gaze above I start seeing vivid images, projections of memories, they're my memories. My parents smile as they both look directly at me; my brother and my friends laughing and talking together in my living room. I see me cheer-leading and giving a passing Matt a peck on the cheek as our schools football team mow the opposing team. All I see is nothing but smiles on all the people I love. All the family dinners, the vacations at the lake house, how happy we all were. No tragedy, no sadness, no death has hugged these memories.

Warmed and more alive again, I continue seeing nothing but memories flow by overhead, letting me know I was happy and can still be. It is telling me to let go of this world. To see my deceased family, to be with them again, it will bring me such peace. My wings sprout at these thoughts, I feel them start to spread behind me, ready to sweep me away. Leaving the meadow behind, I take to the sky, seeing familiar places pass me by as the cool breeze grazes my face. It reminded me of how someone use to touch my face so delicately and gentle...but who was it? I hear the voices again, the voices of my friends, my loved ones that still live. They call my name, why can't I make out who they are or what they say? As more memories paint the sky I see them, their faces, they're so broken, so sad, so lost. I soon realize by the mourning looks on everyone that I must be dead. This is my passage into death, and now I am being swept away into it. Accepting it. Letting it all go.

These faces of who I love dearly continue to invade my mind. It is hard to see anyone else but them. My body blazes as the result of seeing the two faces flash through my memory yet I could pull no names for them. This feeling bloomed from my heart; is this love, does it feel like this? So consumed with the feeling of my body I was suddenly jolted back to my reality. The wind started feeling harsh against my skin, it felt like my skin was being sanded off. I watch as my vivid memories and the sky mold into black water, I watch as my world falls upside down. I suddenly hit the water at full speed. The impact stings my face and arms, jerking my body under I become instantly submerged. Panicking, I try to thrash and swim away but I became paralyzed, seeing my parents with me; their faces look back at me, eyes etched with sadness and acceptance as they wave their goodbyes. _Drowning, drowning._ I try to call out to my parents but water fills my throat. I close my eyes, hoping all this will go away, I feel around for the door of the car but instead I feel an arm, I quickly see who it is; Matt? Where are my parents? Are these the last moments of me being alive? I can feel myself fade, the water consuming me as I fight to keep my eyes open, watching Matt be pulled away. Trying to understand why this was happening. Why my memories are so blurred together. Why does it feel so realistic? I feel so weak and defeated, as I hold onto my memories of them my eyes close from tiredness, letting the arms of death press against me I let a slight smile draw on my face,_ I want this. I can be with my family...Mom and Dad...Jenna...Alaric... Wait...It means I will have to leave them...let them go..._a frown soon forms. The chains of shadow grab me, pulling me farther into the darkness; yet I still long to see them once more. I cannot let them go.

My eyes start to flutter suddenly, yet they remain closed. My mind feels so foggy, I can hear muffled cries, sobs and whispers from people all around me once more. I can't breathe, I must be dead, as I imagined it to be. Dark, yet torturing. Hearing the ones you left behind and also feeling the results of how you die. As I try to inhale, nothing comes. I try to exhale, my lungs burn for air, yet nothing comes to relieve the pain. I somehow managed to finally get a breath, and it was so refreshing. All around me went eerily silent. I did not like it. It was the soft steady breathes of people that made my eyes shoot open, gasping and choking as I breathe in more air. Sitting slightly upright by supporting myself on my elbows I continue to breathe and calm down, trying to figure out what had just happened. I dare not take in my surroundings to see where I was, as the room was shadowed. I slowly take a shaken hand to rest on my chest, fearful of what I may discover; it's true...I felt no heart beat…I hear no heartbeat...


End file.
